Springless fastener



44March 15 1927- A. RUBIN SPRINGLESS FASTENER Filed July 1'?, 1924 HfTozA/Ev/ S Patented Mart l5, l927 t ricos.` f

ADOLPH RUBIN, or sT. LOUIS, IvIIssouRI,Y AssIeNoR, er MRSNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'To Y ARCADE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or FREEPCRT, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION oF ILLINOIS.

Application led July 17,

engagement with the keeper during the operc lo ation of closing the door with which the fastener is used.

Fi re 1 of the drawinOs is a front elevationa view of a springless fastener constructed in accordance with my invention,

l5 showing the parts of the fastener. in the position they assume when the door is closed.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of said fastener, looking sidewise at'the keeper.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the fastener casing with the back plate of thek casing broken away so as-to more clearly illustrate the construction and arrangement of the latch and the plunger that moves same into operative relationship with the keeper;V

and i Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken lon the line 4-4 of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention,

A designates the latch of my improved fast.v

ener which is preferably constructed in the form of a lever pivotally connected at 1 to a casing B and provided at one .end with a handle 2 and at its opposite end with a portion 3 that is adapted to co-operate with a keeper, designated as an entirety by the reference character C. The casing B is usually mounted on the door m with which the fastener is used and the keeper C is mounted on a stationary part of the structure at one side ofthe door opening. The particular way in which` the casing and keeper are mounted on the parts of the structure with which they co-operate is immaterial, and inv stead of arranging. the co-operating parts of the fastener insuch a way that the latch moves over the upper end ofthe4 keeper and then downwardly behind the keeper during the operation of closing the door, as herein illustrated, said parts can be so arranged' that the latch moves under the lower end of the keeper andy then upwardly 'behind the keeper, during the operation of closing the door, assuming, of course, that the door 5 swings Ona-vertical axis.' in instances wheresPRINeLnss rAsTnNnR. 1

1924. serial No. 726,527.

the fastener is used with a door that swings on a horizontalaxis, the keepercan be so arranged that the latch will either move to the left 'behind the keeper, or move to the .right behind the keeper as the door approaches its fullyV closed position. It is preferable to Y construct the latch A in such a way that4 gravity holds thelatch in an inclined position Ywith the handle 2 of the latch A devpressed and the keeper-engaging portion 3 of the latch raised when the door is in its open position, this being effected either by counterweighting the latch, or by arranging the pivot l of the latch at a point intermediate the center of theflatch and the end of to the'stationary part of the structure at one side ofthe door opening. Said keeper is surface-6 that is spaced away from the sup#4 porting plate 5 so as to form a notch'orV open-ended lslot that receives the portion 3 of the latch A when the door is closed, andv said keeper is provided at its front side with lan oppositely-inclined surface 7, whichgfin some instances, co-operates with the portion 3. of the latch to move the latch in a direction topermit vsaid portion 3 to move behind Vthe keeper or become positioned at the rear side of same, depending upon how Vthe casing B and keeper C are arranged on the door and stationary part of the structure. When said parts are arranged in the manner herein illustrated the portion 3 of the latch A will stand in an upwardly-inclined Vposition when the door is open, and willclear the upper end of the keeper C as the door moves towards its closed position. 1

As previously stated, my -improved fastener is provided with means for positively moving the latch into engagement with the keeper Iduring the operation of closing the door.A Said means preferably consists ofa plunger D arranged in an inclined position in the casing B, a cam E adjacent the keeper which theouter end of the plunger D gages during? the operation ofV closing the door, therelayv causing said plunger te movey ,provided at its rear side with an inclined' v inwardly, and a; lugor .other-suitable part 8 ori-the latch A on which the inner end of said plunger D exerts pressure in a direc- -tion to; causexthe portion 3 of the latch to ,move intooperative relationship with the keeper C, namely, behind the keeper. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the cam E is formed by an inclined surface on one side of the shank iwhich carries the keeper C, and4 t-he outer end of the plungerD is beveled slightly, as-shown in VFigure t, so as to insuresaid plunger riding freely over the cam.E. In. order to Iprevent the keeper C from springingL sidewisev under the influence ofthe pressure which the plunger D exerts on the cam E .during the operation of moving. the latch into locking .engagement with the keeper', I prefer to vprovide the portion 3 of the `latch ,withan singularly-disposed projection 3a that Irides over the Vside 4face of the keeper C located farthest away from the door when said portion 3 is moving into Ylocking engagement with the keeper, said projection 3OLA serving virtually asa backing or thrust-resisting `element for the keeper that prevents it fromspringing laterally away from the edge ofthe door. As4 the latch A4 swings on an.arcit is preferable to impart a slight curvature to the keeper C, as shown in`Figure l, and mount said keeper on the stationary part of the structure in such a way that it will be concentric with the axis of movement of the latch A, the angularly-disposed projection 3a on the latch `A not only preventing the keeper from being subjected to strains *which tend to loosen the fastening devices that are used to secure the supporting plate 5 of the keeper iii position, but also 'facilitating the installation of they keeper and t-he casing B of the fastener, 'for if care is taken to arrange the convexed side face o'f the keeper C inl engagement with the projection 3a on the latch during the loperation of securing the keeper supporting plate 5 in position, the two main elements of the fastener, namely, the casing `B and the *keeper supporting plate 5 will be spaced -apartthe right distance to cause'the latch iandkeeper and the plunger`D and calin E y'to function properly when the door is opened and closed.

VWVhen the ldoor is open the portion?, of the latch A will stand in an upwardly-inl-'clinedposition and the plunger-D will be extended, asshown iirFigurel 3. IVlien the door is Vmoved towards vits closed position Vthe-portion 3 ofthe latch passes over the .upper lend ofthe keeper C, and at about the l:timesaid portion 3-reachesA the point where it can swingdownwardly behind thekeeper, the beveled end of ythe plunger "D strikes `VagainstthecainV E, andin riding overthe :said cam is Ymoved l,inwardlyY so as to exert N,pressure-on the lugS of the @latch in a direction to positively force the portion 3 of the latch downwardly over the inclined surfaceG-onthe rear side offtlie-fkeeper. As

thepoi'tion 3 ofi-:the latch` `moves downwardly over the inclined rearedge G of the keeper, the inward pressure that is exerted on the door forces the door tightly closed, and after the door has reached its fully closed position, Athe portion .3 of the latch is retained, in engagement with the keeper C by the co-action of .the cam`E, plunger D and lug 8 on the latch. `When it is desired to open t-he door, the handle 2 of the latch is pressed downwardly, thereby Gausing the lug 8 on the latch to movetlie plunger D outwardly, and asl said plunger moves outwardly over the inclined face of `the vcam E, the portion 3 of the/latch swings upwardly to a point where it canpass over the upper end of the keeper C when a forward pullis exerted ontheliandle ofthe latch.

A, fastener of the construction above described Vwill securely hold a door in 'itst closed position; it is easyto manipulate, and it is of such simple design that it is inexpensive to manufacture and is not'liablecto V,get out of order when in use. In most instances the keeper C, shank 4* and supporting plate e will be constructedas a single 'hole in the lugfthat constitutes the pivot l of the latch, 'The plunger`D is provided.

with an angularly-shaped frontportionfthat projects through a correspondingly-shaped 'hole inthe side wall oit-the casing and a cyliiidrictil-shaped inner 'portion D that slides freely Ain ajperforated lug 9 onthe inner side of the front wall oftlie'casing, as shown inFigurc 3, the eiid ofsaid cylindrical-shaped portion D 4being upset 'soas to rlimit vthe outward movement .of the plunger D.

YHaving thus described myA invention, what 'I claim as `new and desire to secure' by Letters Patent is:

1. In a swinging idoor"fastener, r'thecon'i- Hbination of ahinged door, a ylatch mounted on said door in such a mannerthat gravity tends-to hold saidflatch in an inactive position rwith relation tothe keeper vwhen the 'door is open,'anactuating member for said latch mountedon-the door, and a stationary apart #associated with 'the lkeeper 'and ar- CTI ranged so that the movement of the door towards its closed position causes said stationary part to impart movement to said actuating member' and cause said member to positively move the latch into looking engagement with the keeper.

2. A door fastener', comprising a latch, a keeper, a cam arranged adjacent the keeper, and a plunger carried by the part on which the latch is mounted and arranged to engage said cam and bemoved by same in a direction to positively move the latch into operative relationship with the keeper during the operation of closing the door.

3. A door fastener', comprising a keeper, a pivotally-mounted latch, a casing which carries said latch, a plunger` in said casing, a part on the latch adapted to be engaged by said plunger and moved by same in a direction to cause the latch to engage the keeper, and means for causing said plunger vto actuate the latch during the operation of closing the door.

4. A door fastener, comprising a stationary keeper provided With a cam, a movable casing provided with a pivotally-mounted latch, an element on said casing that is adapted to be actuated by said cam to move the latch into locking engagement with the keeper during the operation of closing the door, andv a device on the latch that is adapted to engage the keeper and prevent it from springing sidewise due to the pressure produced by the engagement of said element With said cam.

5. A door fastener, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to a door and provided with a pivotally-mounted latch, a supporting plate adapted to be connected to a' stationary part of the structure and provided With a keeper, and a cam arranged at one side of said keeper, a laterally-projecting part on said latch, and a plunger in said casing that acts on said part and which y is so arranged that it Will engage said cam and be moved by same ina direction to cause the latch to pass behind the keeper during the operation of closing the door..

6. A door fastener, comprising a casing adapted to be connected to a door, a pivotally-mounted latch on said casing, a stationary keeper arranged so that said latch can pass behind the same and provided with a convexed surface, a projection on the Vlatch that is adapted to ride over said convexed surface, a cam arranged adjacent the keeper, and a plunger in the casing that'is adapted 7. A door fastener, comprising a Vcasing to be moved yinwardly by said cam during'V the operation 'of'closing the door so as yto adapted to be connected to a door, an unbalanced, pivotally-mounted latch on said casing, a supporting plateadapted to be secured to a stationary vpart of the structure adjacent the edge of the door, a shank projecting forwardly from said plate, a keeper on said shank, an inclined surface on one side of said shank that acts as a cam, an angularly-disposed lug on said latch, anda reciprocating plunger in the casing arranged to act on said lug and disposed so that it is moved by said cam in a direction to cause the latch to engage the keeper during the operation of closing the door. Y

8. A door fastener, comprising a casing adaptedV to be connected `to a door, a pivotally-mounted, unbalanced latch on said casing provided With an angularly-disposedV lug, a reciprocating plunger on said easing arranged so that the'inner end of same Willy act on said lug, and a stationary keeper and cam arranged so that the cam will act on the plunger and cause it to move'the latch into operative relationship With the keeper during the operation of closing the door.

ADOLPH RUBIN. 

